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Synopsis: 1929. When a passionate love affair threatens to leave Lucy in disgrace, she chooses a respectable marriage over a life of shame. With her husband, coffee plantation owner James, she travels to her new home in India, leaving her troubled past behind her.

Everything in India is new to Lucy, from the jewel-coloured fabrics to the exotic spices. When her path crosses that of Gowri, a young woman who tends the temple on the plantation’s edge, Lucy is curious to find out more about her, and the events that lead her to live in isolation from her family…

Now. With her career in shatters and her heart broken by the man she thought was her future, Kayva flees from bustling Mumbai to her hometown. A crumbling temple has been discovered in a village nearby, and with it letters detailing its tragic history – desperate pleas from a young woman called Gowri.

As Kavya learns of Gowri and Lucy’s painful story, she begins to understand the terrible sacrifices that were made and the decision the two women took that changed their lives forever. Can the secrets of the past help Kavya to rebuild her life?

Synopsis: Three murders. Three innocent victims. What secrets did they share with their killer?

A bottle of bubble bath and colourful, plastic boats were scattered in small puddles on the floor. In the bathtub lay Linda Upton, fully-clothed, her lips a shade of blue, and her bloodshot eyes wide open.

When a young mother is found drowned in the bath, clutching a receipt saying ‘all debts paid’, Detective Robyn Carter knows it’s just the beginning of a harrowing case. She recognises the signs of a serial killer, and when a second victim with a receipt is found, her worst fears are confirmed.

With the local press whipping the public into a frenzy, Robyn is under pressure to solve the crime yesterday. But her team can’t find a link between the two bodies, and the cracks are starting to show.

Just when her leads have dried up, Robyn discovers an unsettling clue she thinks could unlock the case. But as she chases across the plush carpets and manicured lawns of the wealthy elite, honing in on the killer’s shocking motive, one of her own is put in terrible danger.

The press call him The Leopard for his stealth, speed and brutality. Can Robyn stop the most twisted killer of her career before it’s too late?

A woman's body lies in the road. At first it looks like a tragic accident. But when Helen Grace arrives on the scene it's clear she's looking at a coldblooded killing. But why would anyone target a much-loved wife and mother?

She Loves Me NotAcross town, a shopkeeper is killed while his customers are left unharmed. But what lies behind the killer's choices?

She Loves MeWho lives? Who dies? Who's next? The clock is ticking.

She Loves Me NotIf Helen can't solve this deadly puzzle then more blood will be shed. But any mistake and it might be her own ...

Synopsis: When an ex-Delta Forces operative dies in a car wreck in Miami, the FBI dismiss it as a tragic accident. But Jon Reznick isn’t so sure—especially when he learns that his teetotal former colleague was apparently drunk at the wheel.

Reznick’s one-man investigation quickly enters dangerous territory when it becomes clear that this was merely the first in a series of mysterious deaths. All of the victims are ex-Delta Forces, and all were involved in a top-secret Iranian hit under Reznick’s command. Retribution will not be complete until Reznick is wiped out too.

With Iran’s ruthless Quds Force hunting him down on US soil, assisted by a powerful Mexican drug cartel determined to increase its own foothold in the country, Reznick’s survival is a threat to national security. FBI Assistant Director Martha Meyerstein is not as keen as some government officials to sacrifice him as collateral damage, but the longer Reznick runs, the more audacious his enemies become. Innocent American lives are at risk, and only Reznick’s victory—or surrender—can save them.

Synopsis: In Vancouver, the wife of a millionaire is dead following an explosion in her own home.

Everyone thinks her husband is responsible, but former FBI profiler Jefferson Winter isn't so sure. The method is too perfect; the lack of mistakes, uncanny. He's seen a series of carefully orchestrated murders - once a year, on exactly the same day, a woman dies in a situation just like this one.

That date is fast approaching and Winter knows another victim has been selected. Can he identify the quiet man before he strikes again?

Kat's Rating: 4/5

Kat's Review: Having recently read Prey (Book 3 in this series) I was raring to go with the newest book by James Carol. Jefferson Winter is a memorable character, an ex-FBI guy with a shock of white hair who appears to live off of coffee and cigarettes. Seeing as Jeffersons own father was a Serial Killer, he has an unusual insight and has never really laid his hat anywhere. His work takes him all over the world and the latest case takes him to Vancouver in Canada.

This latest case is certainly unusual and it appears that the killer strikes just once a year on a specific date. His method of killing is by bomb and when PI Laura Anderton asks for his help he is only to happy to oblige. Anderton is a great character and seeing as she is an ex-copper it gives her an edge as well as experience. She and Winters make a great team and the cameraderie between them is obvious from the outset. Anderton was hired by the husband of the first victim and the two of therm together make a formidable team but don't prove to be terribly popular!

Jefferson is one of those characters that has personal experience, years of actual experience as well as some twisted and warped logic at times. However, it seems to be what gets the job done. I particularly relished some of the scenes between Jefferson and a particularly irritating reporter. Although Jefferson is good at his job and such an interesting character to read he also has a darker side which makes for compulsive reading. As much as I enjoyed Prey the last book, this one feels more like the original book and was a real page turner. I thoroughly enjoyed it and cannot wait to read book 5!

Synopsis: Ella’s life just hit rock-bottom, but can a summer by the sea mend her broken heart? When life gives you lemons… make ice-cream!

Life hasn’t always been easy for single mum Ella, but she has just hit an all-time low; she’s jobless, loveless, very nearly homeless and, to make matters worse, now the owner of a pocket-sized pooch with a better wardrobe than her.

Packing her bags (and a bigger one for the dog), Ella sets off for the seaside town of Appledore in Devon to re-live the magical summers of her youth and claim her portion of the family ice-cream business: a clapped-out ice-cream van and a complicated mess of secrets.

There she meets gorgeous and free-spirited solicitor, Ben, who sees things differently: with a little bit of TLC he has a plan to get the van – and Ella – back up and running in no time.

Guest Reviewer Johnny has been absent for a few months but he is finally back. It seems his usually scathing reviews are less harsh for the first quarter of 2017 and he actually rated 2 books with 4 stars, bearing in mind he has reviewed 150 plus books and only 4 of them rated as a 4 star)! SOme great sounding books on this list and some I will need to push further up the to read list!

Let The Dead Speak by Jane Casey

Johnny’s Rating: 4/5:

Johnny’s Review: Yes, it's the fourth 5 star review in over 2 years and 150+ reviews! Absolutely cracking police procedural that begins with the police processing a murder scene where they find all the evidence they need, in fact everything, except the requisite corpse. The story moves along at breakneck pace and there are a multiplicity of suspects to choose from, but still no body.

It would be remiss to outline the plot in detail but suffice to say that apart from the plethora of suspects there are multiple plot twists and a jaw dropping denoument. All the characters are very well drawn and the plot construction is perfect. At the risk of gushing, this is the best novel I've read in a long time and thoroughly recommended

Little Susan Verity went missing during the heatwave of 1976. An unprecedented amount of police resource went into finding her, but to no avail. Until now.

Convicted serial killer Adrian Wicklow was always the prime suspect. In the past, he's repeatedly lied to the police about where Susan's body is buried - playing a sick game from behind bars.

But this time, he says, he'll tell the truth. Because Adrian Wicklow is dying.

Detective Ian Bradshaw works with investigative journalists Helen Norton and Tom Carney to find the body. However, this is Wicklow's life's work. Would a murderer on death's door give up his last secret so easily...?